I have had my tank fully stocked 75 gallon for 6 months. Not one issue. All fish thriving. Yesterday I found my prized Copperband (fat little guy who started eating day one upon arrival) dead and my one spot fox space (my daughter's "fish") barely hangin on to only die five minutes later.. I tasted water and my nitrates were through the roof. All my other fish were breathing heavily. I was able to get them all out and into my ten gallon hospital tank that I keep running down in the basement. Lost my yellow tang within an hour. I am crushed. They were my three favorites. I have no idea why my nitrates spiked. All other fish are accounted for. Anybody have a guess? I don't know what to do. I stirred my sand to try and clear any food - I shoot my rocks each week with a turkey baster. This is a fish only tank with live rock. I left my snails in the tank. There have been no new additions in 6 months and every single fish went through six weeks of quarantine. I learned that lesson when I first got into this hobby. HELP! Any advice would be helpful. 24 hours later and all my other fish are breathing fine and eating fine. What the heck could have happened?!?!? Thanks in advance. And if this teachers you nothing else, have a hospital tank running if at all possible!
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ccombs
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I personally don't think it is the nitrates that killed the fish, but we will need some more info to help diagnose.
What was the nitrate value?
Any new additions to tank?
What are your other parameters?
How long has the tank been up/brief history of tank. (Has it been running for 6 months, or the last fish added was 6 months ago)
Sorry for your losses, but lets get this figured out!
@vetteguy53081
@Big G
@HotRocks
What was the nitrate value?
Any new additions to tank?
What are your other parameters?
How long has the tank been up/brief history of tank. (Has it been running for 6 months, or the last fish added was 6 months ago)
Sorry for your losses, but lets get this figured out!
@vetteguy53081
@Big G
@HotRocks
Sounds like the one death may have caused an ammonia spike. Therfore effectively killing the other fish. A 75g supporting a copperband, tang and foxface is a big load.
What do you use for air circulation: skimmer, surface agitation, air stone?
Did your tank get cloudy at all in the last 24 hours? Bacteria bloom?
What do you use for air circulation: skimmer, surface agitation, air stone?
Did your tank get cloudy at all in the last 24 hours? Bacteria bloom?
vetteguy53081
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Time for a 25% water change. If Nitrates were high, ammonia may have been also.
What test kits are you using and what type of filtration? Age of tank ? Tank temp and salinity ?
What test kits are you using and what type of filtration? Age of tank ? Tank temp and salinity ?
Tank has been running for two years. However I had a crash a year ago. Tank was empty for 8 weeks. Then added fish slowly - after a full quarantine. Not two tangs, just one. Other fish are: two jawfish, a pair of clowns, one file fish (smalll guy - looks like a flounder - lol), and two yellow wrasses. I test my water ever week. I have two Eheim canisters, two circulation pumps - both pointing up for air circulation. Everything other than Nitrate (80 - but maybe a little higher) was fine. 8.2 ph, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite. Makes no sense?!?!
Last edited:
Salanity is fine 1.02. Temp is a steady 78. No cloudy water. Last fish was added 6 months ago. NO new additions since then (not even clean up crew). I only have six snails (turbos) and about a dozen hermit crabs.
I think from the looks of it, your fish died and spiked the ammonia. This in turn spiked nitrites and nitrates. The nitrites and ammonia are the killers. I am so sorry.
I still think possibly too much bioload for the animals.
I corrected my two tangs after looking at the post. Thanks for clarifying that.
Now why the first fish died is a mystery. It was your copperband? No huge surprise to me as they can be tough fish to keep long term.
I still think possibly too much bioload for the animals.
I corrected my two tangs after looking at the post. Thanks for clarifying that.
Now why the first fish died is a mystery. It was your copperband? No huge surprise to me as they can be tough fish to keep long term.
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Makes sense. Not knocking anything you have but Canisters make great supplement units- Not primary in a marine tank and often recognized as nitrate factories in which they need frequent servicing. If youre going to utilize canisters, use Ceramic beads along with chemipure blue, teaspoon of GFO and 5 micron filter pads. Best bet is a H.O.B. refugium.
Nevertheless, change water, clean up canisters and even add a hang on back power filter that will polish water and add oxygen.
Please verify your salinity reading ( You indicated 1.02 )
Nevertheless, change water, clean up canisters and even add a hang on back power filter that will polish water and add oxygen.
Please verify your salinity reading ( You indicated 1.02 )
Thank you. Yes, Copperband first. And one spot fox face within ten minutes of me finding the copper band. Went to bed at 9pm and all were fine (I say goodnight to them every night - I am weird, I know).
BobbyCline
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I’ve had nitrates around 70 to 80 ppm in a freshwater tank several years ago and it took out a lot of fish.
You can try some methelene blue in the hospital tank. It helps with ammonia burns. Good luck!
So what do I do know? I did a 50% water change today after stirring the bed. I run ceramic stones in both canisters, two filter pads in each, a carbon pad and also have the ceramic beads.
Once my levels are all back to normal, how long do I wait to reintroduce my fish?
Sorry for all the questions.
Once my levels are all back to normal, how long do I wait to reintroduce my fish?
Sorry for all the questions.
We love questions. You are trying to help your fish. We get that. Personally this is what I would do.
Keep them in hospital tank to make sure no other issues arrive. Like major bacterial or viral issues.
Make sure your main dt parameters are good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0-20 nitrates).
Get hospital tank to match your dt parameters.
Move back in after couple weeks.
Only change is if the hospital tank is becoming too much and causing more stress.
Can medicate in the main tank with proper food.
Keep them in hospital tank to make sure no other issues arrive. Like major bacterial or viral issues.
Make sure your main dt parameters are good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0-20 nitrates).
Get hospital tank to match your dt parameters.
Move back in after couple weeks.
Only change is if the hospital tank is becoming too much and causing more stress.
Can medicate in the main tank with proper food.
Thank you so much. So as for replacing. Reading these posts I will not get all three again. Would a one spot fox face and a yellow tang be okay given my other fish? I don't think I could ever "love" a copper band as much as CB (that's what we called him). Thanks again!
In a 75g, I would not keep either of those. If you really must have a tang, a tomini is the smallest out there. Still need a lot of grazing options though. JMO
With a reading like that it's stating that your tank water is basically brackish water. The tank salinity should be raised to 1.026 sg or 35 ppt. Calibrate your meter or refractometer and retest. If you get the same result, you will need to start increasing the salinity slowly to 1.026 over a 6-12 hour period. It'll take close to 4 pounds of salt to get it up to 1.026 (35) if the current reading is accurate. To raise it mix up some super concentrated salt water in a ratio of 1 pound of salt to at lease 1 gallon of water and slowly add it in small doses of 1/2 - 3/4 gal at a time waiting at least 30-60 min for it to circulate before testing the salinity. Wait at least 1-2 hours before each dose to keep from shocking the rest of the livestock. Dose the tank with Sechem Prime to detoxify any remaining ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Once the tank is up to the correct salinity start prepping for a large water change of at least 50%.
I think his tank is FO; therefore, the lower salinity is not necessary. However, if you want live rock or inverst, you do need to get the number up to at least 1.025.
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